Tuesday, February 26, 2008

... and we're back home. I was apparently hallucinating at 3:19 this afternoon. Shortly after that I stopped obsessing about food.

At 5:20 we dropped the kids off at Grandma's house and went to the homeless shelter. We fed about 120 men and women. Tabitha scooped out 3 big tubs of ice cream and I made sure no one ran out of cherry cola. It was a good time.

I broke the fast at 7:30 tonight when we went to Tortilla Grille for Taco Tuesday after we finished at the shelter. I was hungry but I could have gone longer. The salsa did taste really good though.

I really appreciate the experience of fasting. I will definitely do it again. I will also help feed the homeless again. Fasting and feeding are two sides of the same coin.

It must be my stomach. One of my many problems is that I constantly think about food. When I'm eating breakfast I'm thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch. When I eat lunch, I think about a snack. You get the picture.

This morning I decided to go on a short fast. This is for a few reasons. First, I've never done it before. Second, I need the discipline of doing it. I'm a prisoner of my appetite. Lastly, we are helping our little church feed the homeless tonight. It would be good for me to know what it would be like to be hungry.

Now I need to stay out of the kitchen. On the counter rest the brownies I made on Sunday. In the corner is the chocolate from Valentines Day. In the fridge, my cheese calls for me.

Monday, February 25, 2008

The DVD Snow Buddies has been playing on a loop at our house lately. This tale, from the maker of Air Bud, tells the tale of a group of golden retriever puppies who stow away in a container of ice cream. That they don't freeze to death before being parachuted into a small Alaskan village is a minor miracle.

When they land on the ground, the puppies are taken in by a young boy who decides to use them to compete in a sled dog race. They win. The puppies go home to their families and everyone learns a valuable lesson - helping others is more important than winning.

The villain of the tale is a weaselly French-Canadian. Who could be a better villain than a French-Canadian. He's French and he's Canadian. Perfect.

The dogs all talk. And they all share the personalities of their owners. There's the girl dog, the athlete dog, the yoga dog, the muddy dog, and the hip-hop dog. What could be cuter?

Excuse me while I wipe the vomit from my lips.

Some kids movies are great. Every Pixar movie has been incredible (even The Incredibles). Mary Poppins has Dick Van Dyke with a corny cockney accent and Julie Andrews in all of her hotness. Beauty and the Beast has dancing furniture. The Little Mermaid has a gigantic purple monster.

Snow Buddies has talking puppies.

Abigail will get tired of the movie soon. I keep asking her if she wants to see Finding Nemo. Maybe in another week.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

I hate when a news reporter will say or write that a "badly decomposed" body was found. Badly is not the right word to describe the process of decomposition. The decomposition is progressing just fine, thank you. The body might be in the early stages of decomposition or it might be in an advanced state of decomposition.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I like Bluegrass. It all started when O Brother, Where Art Thou? came out. I bought the soundtrack CD and have listened to it sporadically through the years. At work I've been listening to the Bluegrass channel on AOL Radio. I love the music and I can even sing along to a few songs.

Speaking of ouch, Arsenal's Eduardo suffered a potentially career ending double leg break in their game against Birmingham City. I've seen a still photo of the tackle. Bruuutal! I don't want to see the video.

... you could eat a piece of chocolate and not worry if it were fair trade. Or you could enjoy a cup of coffee and not concern yourself that it was shade grown. Or buy clothes without worrying that it was made in a south-east Asian sweatshop.

I will start off by saying that I like a good steak. And a good cheeseburger. And hot links, bacon, grilled chicken, and grilled salmon. But more and more I wonder if eating meat is the ethical choice.

Greg Boyd in his blog has compiled his reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. I haven't read all of it because, quite frankly, I don't want to fully engage with the issue. But one has to wonder if our way of providing meat for our table is the best, most ethical, way.

The recent attention focused on the Hallmark/Westland slaughterhouse for their practice of mistreating sick and injured cows is sobering. If your job is to kill hundreds of cows every day, is it surprising that you might develop a cavalier attitude toward their lives?

In the past (the golden, perfect past) a farmer might raise an animal for his own table. He raised it knowing that the animal was destined to become food. When the time came, the farmer (or a neighbor) slaughtered the animal with respect for the sacrifice the animal made. The farmer would not dream of mistreating the animal.

We have an insatiable appetite for meat in this country. Many people eat meat with every meal. I generally eat meat with at least two meals every day. Where does my meat come from? The supermarket where it comes on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in clear plastic. Something died so I could buy a pound of hamburger or a tri-tip.

I tend to lose sight of the fact that hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of animals are killed every year so I can fill my belly. These animals are part of God's creation. These animals are not just raw materials for the food factory, but are living and breathing creatures.

I am not personally ready to make the leap to removing meat from my diet. I do think I could cut back my consumption of meat. I could also try to buy meat from producers who raise and slaughter the animals ethically (free-range, grass fed). It might be difficult and more expensive but it could be done.

If you are an old fan of The Smiths, like me, you 'll know the answer to the question in the title is "murder."

Friday, February 22, 2008

To be signed before any church group uses the (name deleted) facilities for a Custom Camp.(Church Name) wishes to assure (name deleted) that our church does not knowingly support or sanction any organization, denomination, cause, or institution which is liberal, neo-orthodox, ecumenical, charismatic, or neo-evangelical. Nor are we affiliated with the National Council of Churches or the National Association of Evangelicals.

We understand that (name deleted) believes in the autonomy of the local church and in the priesthood of the believer and is not trying to dictate policy to our church. However, we realize that (name deleted) wants to avoid any compromising situation and wants to keep its name and reputation clean so that fundamental churches may use the facilities and program without fear of compromise.

We further understand that (name deleted) requests the use of Sacred Traditional Music as opposed to Contemporary Christian Music, and modesty for both men and women. We agree to help maintain the integrity of (name deleted)'s position in these areas while using the facility. Our church makes the above assurances and agrees to inform (name deleted) if we ever change our position or can no longer agree to honor (name deleted)'s policy while using the facility.

I think this is kind of sad. I believe this is a Christian facility used by Christian organizations but they don't seem to return the favor.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

My dad called last night to tell me that his Uncle Ramon was doing worse. His kidneys have failed and he is no longer responding to any treatment. They have checked him out of the hospital to take him home.

Uncle Ramon was married to my Grandma's step-sister, Nellie. Even though they were step-sisters, Vera and Nellie were closer than many biological sisters. Ramon and Nellie never lived more than a few miles from my grandparents. Nellie died a few years ago and my Grandma died last summer.

Uncle Ramon was an artist who specialized in pen and ink drawings. His work focused primarily on outdoor scenes. Several years ago he completed a series of drawings for Ironwood Christian Camp in Newberry Springs.

He was also proud of his Scottish heritage. He always wore his kilt to the family reunions. I remember wanting a kilt of my own.

I remember going to Ramon and Nellie's house for holidays. I can still picture the front stairs and the family room in the back.

Uncle Ramon was always cheerful with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. Fortunately, he has passed his sense of humor to his children.

A few facts about the legendary American author, Ernest Hemingway. Remember, if it's on the Internet it must be true.

- Hemingway was born July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. He would be 108 years old today if he were still alive.- Hemingway's mother often dressed him as a girl when he was a child. Her insanity contributed to Ernest's hyper-machismo.- Hemingway spent summers with his family in the woods of Wisconsin. While fly fishing appeared frequently in Hemingway's writing, mosquitoes did not.- At the age of 18, Hemingway volunteered to drive ambulances for the Italian Army in World War I. This presumably was to compensate for being dressed as a girl by his mother.- Hemingway married the first of his four wives, Hadley, in 1921. She was an older woman. Each successive wife was progressively younger.- Hemingway moved to Paris to escape Prohibition. This allowed him to cultivate alcoholism and relationships with many notable expatriate artists.- Hemingway lost a suitcase containing the only copies of his first short stories. He did not have back up copies.- His first novel, The Sun Also Rises, tells the story of a disaffected WWI veteran through the themes of fly-fishing, bullfighting, and alcoholism. The book popularized the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Many Drunk Americans have been gored since.- Hemingway went to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. His novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the tale of a doomed American fighting for the Republicans through the use of oddly stilted dialogue. This was not George W. Bush.- Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his short novel, The Old Man and the Sea. The story tells the tale of a marlin which destroys a man. The marlin dies.- Hemingway loved fishing, bull-fighting, big-game hunting, and drinking. He defined manliness for at least two generations of young men. Then the hippies grew their hair long and started wearing beads.- Hemingway survived two plane crashes in one day. Is this a curse or a blessing? You've crashed twice... but you've survived twice. Take a truck next time.- Hemingway died of lead poisoning in Ketchum, Idaho on July 2, 1961 four days before William Faulkner, another noted American alcoholic and author.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

So there I was with my three-bladed Gillette Mach 3 razor. What a great razor. It shaved close with minimal irritation. Who could want anything more?

And then I see the Gillette Fusion at the store. Five blades! Are you kidding me. Who needs five blades. Three blades are plenty.

One day I get the mail and find that Gillette has sent me a free Fusion razor. Uh oh. I know how this works. First they give you a little taste, and then when you're hooked, BAM!

Like a sucker I used the Fusion.

Wow. Where have you been all my life, Gillette Fusion. It glided across my face like a bobsled on an icy run. Short beard, long beard. It made no difference. It even had that little blade on the back to get those hard to reach areas.

But there was a catch. There's always a catch.

I went to Target today to buy replacement cartridges. $12.49 for a package of four! Three dollars a piece. I had to tap into my equity line of credit to complete the purchase.

At least they last for a while. The Mach 3 blades only lasted a week before they started to irritate. They seemed to have a sweet spot of only three shaves. The Fusion blades last for at least three weeks. They shave great from first shave to the second to last shave.

The author of the blog "Cast Iron Skillet," TimB, would like to apologize for the attitudes and actions expressed in the above list. While many of these attitudes and actions can be found in Americans, the author has found that Mexicans tend to wear cowboy hats, Canadians chew gum, Saudis drive large cars, Afghanis carry pearl-handled AK-47s, Germans are very loud, the English generally only speak English, and the Chinese own the whole world. The last three statements in the list are generally true of Americans except for the cheeseburgers. We don't eat them for every meal, only twice a day. If we have bombed your country within the last 10 years, I apologize on behalf of all Americans. If George Bush has pressured your leader to participate in an ill conceived invasion of a sovereign country within the past seven years, I apologize. If you watch Hollywood movies while eating McDonald's food and drinking Coca-Cola, I apologize.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Friday, February 15, 2008

Many people are concerned about the toxins we are exposed to throughout our daily lives. We worry about the hormones and antibiotics in our foods. We worry about exposure to noxious chemicals in the materials used to build our homes.

We worry about the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. We worry that our water has trace amounts of lead, perchlorate, or flouride.

We worry our children will suffer developmental disabilities if we use polycarbonate baby bottles. We worry if our children's vaccinations are safe.

Are we condemning our children to a lifetime of illness and disability. Are we condemning ourselves to an early death from cancer? Are we slowly poisoning ourselves?

Maybe.

However, people living in western countries enjoy the longest life spans of any people living in any civilization, ever. Living to be 100 years old is not particularly remarkable anymore.

We have the lowest rates of child mortality in history. We can start planning for college before our children are even born.

Our air is the cleanest it's been in fifty years. When was the last time we had a smog alert in Southern California? I don't remember either.

We can turn on the tap and fill a glass of water free from toxins. If that's not good enough, you can run your water through a charcoal filter and get rid of what remains.

If you're worried that your polycarbonate baby bottle is going to poison your child when you heat it up, here's a tip: heat the (organic) milk in a glass measuring cup and then pour it into the bottle. You don't want to spend the next few years sweeping glass off your sustainable bamboo floor.

I'm not minimizing the risks we face in our everyday lives. It is human nature to worry. We just need to be careful not to let our anxieties get the better of us. In most of the world, parents cannot be sure their children will live to see the age of ten. Cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS, and parasites cause parents in developing countries more worry than autism.

The OC Register's Fast Food Blog reports that In-N-Out will be opening a store in Washington City, Utah in the late spring. Utah residents won't have to drive to Las Vegas for their Double Doubles.

It also gives those who frequently drive I-15 (to, say, Montana) another excellent dining option. Now if only we could get In-N-Out to put stores in Cedar City, Beaver, Scipio, and Nephi (got to stay within 500 miles of Baldwin Park).

Utah will never have as many In-N-Out stores as Mormon churches but it's a start.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Monday, February 11, 2008

In 1997 Tabitha and I were able to chaperone a group of American Junior High kids on a trip through Italy, Austria, and Hungary. One component of the trip was a home stay. The students and chaperones got to spend a couple of nights with a host family.

Tabitha and I stayed with a family in the little town of Bad Hall outside of Salzburg. They had two adult children and lived in a home they were building on the side of a hill. The views of the Alps were amazing.

Austria is a predominently Catholic country. There is little to no Protestant presence, particularly in the smaller towns. Our host mother knew we weren't Catholic. One day, she asked us, "Is your God...Jehovah?" Tabitha and I looked at each other, both thinking Jehovah is one of the names we call God, and answered "Yes."

Our host mother got a knowing look in her eye and said, "Ohh." The subject never came up again but we noticed a certain coldness in her attitude toward us.

After we had left the country, we realized our host mother thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses.

I guess the writer's strike is over and all of our favorite TV shows will restart production soon. Aside from 30 Rock and The Office I haven't really missed watching TV the past couple of months. There were still soccer games and Mythbusters on so I had plenty of hours to fill my time.

I like Heroes but I approach each new episode with a mix of emotions including anticipation and dread. I've actually enjoyed not riding that emotional rollercoaster.

I'm not a big fan of reality TV. In fact, I hate reality TV with it's contrived situations and unlikeable contestants. I've never watched Survivor, The Apprentice, So You Think You can Dance, Beauty and the Geek, or American Idol. Shows like that have little appeal to me.

But a well written show like 30 Rock? I'd take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Tabitha and I started going to a little church. Little churches are small fellowship/bible study groups within our church. We haven't been involved in one for a few years and felt it was time to get reconnected at church. And meet some new people.

Our little church is reading Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybells, a book about sharing the Gospel. Not in a "stand on the street corner passing out tracts" or "knocking on stranger's doors" kind of evangelism but the "getting to know people and building a level of trust" kind of evangelism.

Two weeks ago, we did an exercise that gauged how much we know about our neighbors. I was embarassed to realize that I know very little about my neighbors. At most I know a few people's first names. No one has been over to our house for dinner. I don't know what my neighbors do for a living. I don't know much and I've lived in our house for three years.

I will admit that I am generally introverted. So is Tabitha. We are busy with our jobs and children. I could probably come up with a dozen reasons (excuses) why we don't have anything beyond the most superficial relationship with our neighbors. I am missing an opportunity here.

Not to cajole people into attending my church, but to build relationships and bring the Gospel.

I might even discover that one of my neighbors likes cheese as much as I do.

If you're going to put your child in a car seat, at least take the time to strap them in properly. And while you're at it, make sure the car seat is securely attached. Your carelessness is going to give the firefighters and cops who come to rescue you and your family nightmares.

I was on the USS Missouri in 1991 during the first Gulf War. Do you remember the "war" that was over after only a few weeks? I was there, man.

1. I remember listening to an English language radio broadcast on my walkman one evening as we cruised somewhere off the coast of India. They were reporting on parliamentary elections in India.

2. I remember going to general quarters (battle stations) as we entered the Persian Gulf through the Straits of Hormuz. We came upon a cargo ship that had a fire on board. We sent a small crew over to assist.

3. I remember having liberty in Manama, Bahrain and thinking it was the most exotic place I had ever visited. Even liberal Islamic countries are very different.

4. I remember standing watch while the ship was anchored in the harbor. I was a roving deck patrol armed only with an unloaded .45. It was a war-zone.

5. I remember going to general quarters the night of January 17, 1991. We were all wearing our chemical suits and gas masks as the ship launched Tomahawk missles at targets in Kuwait and Iraq.

6. I remember sitting in my 5" gun mount as we were launching more Tomahawks. One missile, from the launcher directly above our mount, did not release. It burned out the solid rocket booster inside the launcher. I was scared as we waited for the missile to detonate. It didn't.

7. I remember moving from a starboard side gun mount to a port side mount while the ship was conducting night-time gun fire support. It was pitch black as we hurried across the deck to get inside before the next salvo from the 16 inch guns.

8. I remember going up on deck to dump trash after spending a week inside. We were only a mile or two off the Kuwaiti shore. I could feel air pressure in my ears from the far-off explosions of the air campaign.

9. I remember hearing a call of "Missile in-bound, port side. All hands brace for shock" come over the ship's intercom and wondering if the next few moments would be my last.

10. I remember hearing a garbled message come over the intercom early one morning while we were at general quarters. Hours later we found out the Iraqis had actually fired a missile at us. The missile came within 500 yards of the ship before it was shot down by a Royal Navy ship, the HMS Gloucester.

11. I remember visiting Perth, Australia where, for the first time, I went drinking with my buddies. I was accused of having a hang-over the next day. I swear I didn't, I was just tired.

12. I remember visiting Hobart, Tasmania where, for the last time, I went drinking with my buddies. I was fortunate to have friends who weren't drinkers.

13. I remember the looks on my family's faces when we pulled into port in Long Beach, CA six months after leaving.

14. I remember the people who sent me many letters and gifts while I was away. Their letters and prayers helped me get through the boredom, loneliness, and fear of the cruise.

I have been out of the Navy for 17 years. Many things have happened since then. I went to college, found Tabitha, got married, started one short-lived career, started my current career, became a home-owner, and had two beautiful children. I didn't like the rules, loneliness, and sacrifices of the Navy when I was in, but I now appreciate the experience.

I'm baking another loaf today. This time I am trying oatmeal bread. I used the white bread recipe from the Kitchen Aid book as an outline again. I used bread flour, Scottish oatmeal, and molasses instead of white sugar. It's in the oven for the first raise right now. I hope it turns out well.

I took Aidan for a haircut this morning. We went to a kid's salon that lets the child pick out a small toy after they get their haircut. Today Aidan picked out a frog. And then he picked out another frog. And then he picked out a third. I said, "Aidan, you can only have one." He replied, "Three."

Monday, February 4, 2008

If you are a music producer who wants to make a worship CD for children, use real live children. Don't warp adult voices into children's voices. I can tell and it's not cool. Set aside your desire to make everything musically perfect and give us real kids, singing kid's songs with real feeling. It doesn't have to be perfect. It's actually better when they aren't.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Our Kitchen Fairy visits after Tabitha has gone to sleep. The Kitchen Fairy cleans the kitchen every night, putting all of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and tidying up. The Kitchen Fairy knows how hard Tabitha works and appreciates her for all of the things she does. The Kitchen Fairy does not mind doing this little thing.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Hillary Clinton, in the Democratic primary debate the other night said:

"It did take a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and I think it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush."

I won't defend the younger President Bush. But I get oddly defensive when people (especially Clintons) attack the elder Bush. I think it's because he's the first guy I ever voted for in a presidential election.

I was in Navy bootcamp during the election of 1988. I mailed in my absentee ballot and enjoyed my first taste of voting. I actually even had registered Democrat even though I was quite a bit more conservative than I am now.

George H.W. Bush sent me off to war and brought me home safely after six months. H.W. was placed in a difficult position when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and performed admirably. H.W. was a victim of a stumbing economy and a misguided pledge of "no new taxes." There was no White House cleaning necessary.

Don't even get me started on H. Ross Perot.

I've always felt that George H.W. Bush was my boy. His son is kind of a tard but H.W. can do no wrong in my book.